New Tennessee Immunization Requirements Affect Pre-School, Kindergarten and Rising Seventh Grade Students
KINGSPORT – Kingsport City Schools is alerting parents of pre-school, kindergarten and upcoming seventh grade students of new Tennessee immunization requirements for the 2010-11 school year.
The Tennessee Department of Health has adopted new immunization requirements for child care and school entry effective July 1, 2010 and has introduced a new Tennessee Immunization Certificate. This is the first update of state immunization rules in a decade.
For children entering pre-school and pre-Kindergarten, four new additional immunizations are required. All new requirements are routinely recommended immunizations and most children are already receiving these immunizations from their medical provider. In addition, students must provide the new Tennessee Department of Health Certificate of Immunization form (RDA-N/A: revised 3/10) in order to attend school in August, 2010.
For children entering kindergarten additional doses of existing vaccines are now required, and one new vaccine will be required beginning in 2011. In addition, these students must provide the new Tennessee Department of Health Certificate of Immunization form (RDA-N/A: revised 3/10) in order to attend school in August, 2010.
Children entering the seventh grade must show proof of two new immunizations, the tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis booster (Tdap), and a second dose of the varicella (var-ih-SEL’-uh), or chicken pox, vaccine. These students must provide the new Tennessee Department of Health Certificate of Immunization form (RDA-N/A: revised 3/10) in order to attend school in August, 2010.
In addition, any new student who plans to enroll in a Kingsport City School will be required to bring to the school the new Tennessee Department of Health Certificate of Immunization form (RDA-N/A: revised 3/10) prior to the first day of school.
For more information, please contact your family physician or the Sullivan County Health Department at (423) 279-2777. More information on required immunizations is also available at the Sullivan County Health Departments website at www.sullivanhealth.org.
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